Funerals (Cuarto Medio)

The death of someone is itself painful and sad. But a funeral is surrounded by many situations created not only by the friends and the friends' friends' friends of the family but also by the members of the family too.
This exercise is not done to satirize or ridiculize the funeral ceremony, but to demonstrate that every sad situation in our lives have always another face: a funny one.

Below, there is a list of what to do and what not to do in a funeral.
Read it and then aske the following question:

1. If you have assisted to a funeral. Have you seen any of the actions described below?
2. If you have never assisted to a funeral. How do you think you would feel assisting to one?
3. According to the "Coupling" episode, Do you believe in the theory of 'giggle-loop' explained in the episode? Have you ever passed through it any time?

Funeral Etiquette Do's and Don'ts for Funerals

Don't attend funerals of people you don't know.
Don't try to outdo the family's grief.
Don't use the occasion to "schmooze".
Don't videotape the service.
Don't ask for "just a peek-a-doodle" if it is a closed casket.
Don't rate the funeral with a 1-10 rating scale in front of the family.
Don't race the hearse to the cemetery.
Do offer your help, but don't charge for it.
Don't make statements like "something seems fishy to me" or "I hope they did an autopsy."
Don't remark that the deceased looks "way better than they ever did"
Don't sit in the front row of the church and lean over the seat to wave at everyone you know coming in.
Do realize that the grieving family probably knows the deceased more than you do: especially if it is your neighbour or your friend's aunt.
Don't approach the widow/widower and ask for the fifty dollars the deceased owed you.
Don't make an offer to the widow/widower on the deceased clothes.
Don't try to make the grieving family feel better by handing them a typewritten list of the deceased's faults.
Don't climb on headstones to get a better view.
Don't do impressions of the deceased.
Don't ask about the "eats" the minute you arrive at the funeral home.
Don't ask if there's any booze.
Don't use the word "rooked" if a discussion of funeral expenses arises.
Don't ask the widow/widower on a date at the funeral home.
Don't tell everyone how much your flower arrangement cost and offer to show them the bill if they don't believe you.
Don't remove anything from the coffin as a memento.
Don't tell the grieving family "it could be worse" and then go into a long rambling story about the passing of your little dog Blue.
Don't tell the relatives that this is the smallest funeral you've ever seen.
Don't use a fake name like "I.P. Nightly" in the guestbook.
Don't offer to make a beer-run.


DEADLINE: September 1st.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Carla Sánchez B. 4to "E"

I've been in more than just a funeral, and... many of the things you described, teacher, happened when I was there.
First, there were a lot of people who shouldn't have been there, they didn't even know my grandfather! And all my family kept saying: who are they? what are they doing here?
Then... my uncle raced the hearse to the cemetery, he wanted to be there first.
And the worst! was that my cousin told my grandma... It could have been worse... How bad! x(

I absolutly believe in the Giggle-loop theory... I always pass through it, when I am in the middle of a dissertation, and I remember that when the "twin towers thing" happened, all my school made a "minute silence" for it, I couldn't control myself, I tried, but I laughed anyway. It was so inappropriate! :(

Marcelo Valverde said...

Well, I have never gone to a funeral, so i have not idea of what really happen in them. But, I think that be in a funeral must be bored and unconfortable, because you never know what to say, what to do or how to act.

About the question of the "giggle-loop" I'm totally agree. Actually, the last saturday, I was in the matematics class of the "pre-u" and I could'n hold my laught and, how I remembered of coupling more desire were giving to me of laughing.

C'YA

Anonymous said...

I was in a funeral, that was of my grandfather at Santiago and that moments only I can see sadness but I don't saw to anyone that were doing some action of the video.

I don't believe in the theory, because i think that laugh itself in moments so, it is be irrespetuoso.

Jerzy Quintana G.
4ªB

Anonymous said...

Hi!... well... i never have gone to a funeral, i think that it must be a very complicated, because it's a situation where everybody are distraught.
I'm totally agrre with the theory of "giggle-loop", because it have hapened me many times...

Anonymous said...

I have gone to a funeral,it is very sad, but I have in fact not seen some of these acts, perhaps because nonquick attention the other people.
About the theory of 'giggle-loop' i agree with this, it is very sticky when I try to put to me serious I cannot and I laugh to me with more desire

Anonymous said...

1-YES I WAS IN A FUNERAL OF A FRIEND'S BROTHER.

2-X

3-YES I BELIEVE ! xD is very funny because all the time i got one jaja, i dont know why but when i be whit my freinds it increase. whit somes teachers , when theys said something funny for me ...in many many times...now i imagine the glasses and is more funny jajaj.






XJUANPABLOX 4F E-33